Christmas tree ornament earrings

 The most wonderful time of the year is coming, Christmas is here! For the biggest event of all time, I couldn't be miss the opportunity to make a themed jewel. And the symbol that better represents winter holidays is the Christmas tree, so I made these tree shaped earring that can also be a tree ornament for the occasion.

 

Copper wire with red and green agate stones to make a simple yet gorgeous piece of jewelry/ornament for my viewers.

 

Enjoy this tutorial and video on YouTube and Merry Christmas!

Supply and Equipment:

• Copper Wire: https://amzn.to/3LwdFtM | https://ebay.to/3Iifrxj | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DnoNVNt
• Agate stones: https://amzn.to/3F9jfAZ | https://ebay.to/3XYdrCS | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DmyvgeP
  
• Wrap n tap pliers https://amzn.to/3DxT9YM | https://ebay.to/3N4yMFJ | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dli4ZKL
  
• Nippers: https://amzn.to/38p5eST | https://ebay.to/3BQzX62 | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DeO2saR
  
• Files: https://amzn.to/3h57rYb | https://ebay.to/3vrtVY6 | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DEMqZA3
  
• Ball peen Hammer: https://amzn.to/3AXbED6 | https://ebay.to/3JXCk9M | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DnkcHQ3
  
• Anvil: https://amzn.to/3AW8DTj | https://ebay.to/35nXsqR | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DnBkfPz
  
• Rubber Hammer: https://amzn.to/3GmsgoH | https://ebay.to/353QAzf | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCCltLV
  
• Flat nose pliers https://amzn.to/3TMCKoy | https://ebay.to/36yXkVZ | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DkFTs03
  
• Copper tape: https://amzn.to/3G08HpO | https://ebay.to/3UJTAoB | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DChOu3p
  
• Burnishing tool: https://amzn.to/3HcedGu | https://ebay.to/3Ha5d4q | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dks2lur
  
• Lead free Tin solder: https://amzn.to/3fMONno | https://ebay.to/3Tm1iEn | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCgJSQJ
  
• Solder iron: https://amzn.to/3hoRRGL | https://ebay.to/3tfzM0q | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DecgxCf
  
• Clear flux: https://amzn.to/3iEidFb | https://ebay.to/3BbWKtU | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DlANvCP
  
• The complete equipment and supplies for electroforming: https://kit.co/cuforming/electroforming-advanced-kit

To make the tree shape, I use my wrap n tap pliers. I start by making the bail with copper wire and one by one I alternate straight parallel line one bigger than the previous resembling such as a serpentine and end it with another bail.

For the hook I also start with a bail on a piece of wire and with my fingers I made I round shape like a half circle. With my flat nose pliers, I made I sharp corner to close the hook. Cut to the right size and file the ends with my small needle file.

I then flat the corner on my anvil to give it strength, and then I attached them to the trees.

 I choose red and green agate stones that are the colors of Christmas. These agates don't have holes, and definitely I don't wanna pierce them. That's where electroforming start to play in this project.

I use copper tape, which is conductive, to wrap all my stones on the narrow side to leave the face visible from the front of the jewel. 

 With a steel rod, I burnished all the copper tape's wrinkles that didn't got glued with just my finger pressure. Pushing the copper tape on the stone will make it be flat and there won't be any issues while electroforming.

 Now we can join all jump rings to connect each part. I wanna set red stones on top and the green ones on the bottom, so I'm gonna weld two bails on the red ones and only one on the greens.
Using my solder iron and just a small dot of tin solder, I attached them one after another. To help tin to stick on copper, I use flux.

In one of my old videos, I made crimp end caps, and I soldered them with the same technique. In that video I used a waxy flux that was very dirty with lots of residues and after the job I had to wash all pieces in acetone and put them to boil in hot water.

This time I use a clear no residues flux that doesn't need any other treatment after the soldering process so that my pieces are ready for the electroforming solution bath.

 Since I didn't use any conductive paint therefore all the parts that need to be electroformed are already metal, therefore in the tank, they will stay less than usual. I set my power supply at low current during the afternoon, and I set it on medium/high in the evening before I go to sleep.

 The next morning everything was bright and shine, so I removed them from the bath. But I was going to mount them on the tree part and I noticed that the wire's copper wasn't as bright as the one on the stones, so I decided to put those tree with the hooks attached in the tank for few hours to mach the stone's brightness.

 I finally set myself in mounting mode and join everything together. The hook on top, then the tree, the red stone and on the bottom the green one.

 I couldn't wait to make a photo shoot, so I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing and decorate my Christmas tree.

 And there you go, my Christmas Tree Earrings Ornaments.

Please watch the YouTube Video, Like and Subscribe.

 Thank you all of you and Merry Christmas, CuForming!

How to make Liver of Sulfur and Colorful Patina on Copper

 

 There are different ways to make Patina on metal, but the most mysterious and still popular way to do it is with Liver of sulfur. In this tutorial, I will resume my three videos from YouTube about LoS. I will teach you how to produce LoS in different ways, and I will also show you how to use it to make different patina colors on copper.

In the first video, I will show you how to make it in less than one hour with small lab equipment.
This method is safe, but it requires a little care when we manipulate the substances.

Three simple ingredients are needed:

• Distilled water: 100ml
• Sodium Hydroxide: 20g https://ebay.to/3XKCr0j
  
• Pure Sulfur: 5g https://ebay.to/3B2r2z7
  

 The equipment needed is:

• Gloves https://ebay.to/36ENtxX | https://amzn.to/3iss698 | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DdpYFa3
  
• Measuring scale https://ebay.to/3C3tchF | https://amzn.to/3OSKZyf | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DmraRjH
  
• Beaker http://ebay.to/3J2Jl8H | https://amzn.to/3VDg1w4 | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DnruREj
  
• Glass stirring rod https://ebay.to/3VLTH3z | https://amzn.to/3VIHxZa | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DFcsX23
  
• Electric stove https://ebay.to/3B0bXhn | https://amzn.to/3OQOYeq | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dn2P50n
  
• (or) Heat stirrer https://ebay.to/3ugWDcC | https://amzn.to/3ESrFwq | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCbwvwL
  
•  Coffee filters https://ebay.to/3gO89cr | https://amzn.to/3irUQyG | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCw7th1
  
• Funnel (HDPE or glass) https://ebay.to/3P6s3MB | https://amzn.to/3gOu5Ea | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dd0QYeX
  
• Sealed glass jar https://ebay.to/3ugcNCY | https://amzn.to/3uyItUx
  
• (or) Dropper bottle https://ebay.to/3OT0V3p | https://amzn.to/3B16cQz | https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DlZBJpv
  

***Sodium Hydroxide also called Lye or Caustic Soda is dangerous***. BE CAREFUL WITH IT. If you are not familiar with it wear eye protection, wear gloves and use it with a fume extractor or in a ventilate area or even wear a respirator mask. Don't pour water in solid lye, it will start to splash all around. Don't put your face over the beaker. Don't touch it with wet hands if it is solid, don't touch it if it's dissolved, don't touch it at all. The solution is exothermic, it means that it's gonna get hot. Be aware that the temperature will reach 70 °C.

I'm doing it under my fume extractor, I don't recommend making it in under your kitchen hood, it's gonna make your kitchen stink for days. Do it outside.

 

Pour the distilled water in your beaker and turn on your stove to medium heat.

Add sodium hydroxide into the water and let it dissolve completely. 

When the solution starts to boil, add the sulfur powder and let it dissolve in to the sodium hydroxide solution. 

During this process we need to stir the solution once in a while with a glass stirrer (not necessary if we use a magnetic stirrer) and if needed we can wash the sides of the beaker with little water to let the sulfur go down. 

The solution will start becoming yellow, then orange and at the end dark red.

 

 Leave it to boil until all the sulfur is completely dissolved or when the color is very dark. Sometime, small particles of sulfur don't want to melt in the solution. It'll take around 30 minutes and when it's done we may wanna leave our solution to cool down. 

The liquid contains impurities and small pieces of undissolved sulfur that we don't want in the final product, so we are going to filter it. Two coffee filters a and a funnel on a sealed container are perfect. Pour the liquid and wait for it to drip entirely.

This is the final product and can be used as it is but, for convenience, I usually partition it in smaller glass dropper bottles ready to be use one drop at the time to make diluted solutions.

 

If you choose the right container, it will last for very long time.